Nico Group donates K5m to Mother’s Fun Run
Financial services group Nico Holdings plc yesterday donated K5 million to the Mother’s Fun Run, a safe motherhood initiative championed by Nationa Publications Limited (NPL) and its partners.
The Nico Group donation will go towards the purchase of three portable patient monitors with accessories, one nebuliser with accessories and four penguin suckers.
Speaking during the cheque presentation in Blantyre, NBS Bank head of marketing and customer experience Tamanda Ng’ombe Longwe said Nico Group saw it fit to support the initiative because mother’s play an important role in society.
She said: “We have contributed K5 million towards the purchase of some of the equipment that is needed at Nkhata Bay District Hospital.
“We want the mothers and babies to survive because, as Nico, we take healthcare very seriously.”
Receiving the donation, Nation On Sunday editor Emmanuel Luciano said NPL is grateful for the donation, saying it will put smiles on the faces of mothers who will benefit from the equipment.
“NPL uses this initiative to reach out to the society to fight the maternal and neonatal deaths as one way of encouraging safe motherhood,” he said.
Luciano said NPL introduced this initiative 17 years ago as one way of addressing what he called scaring figures of the neonatal and maternal deaths in the country.
Through the Mother’s Fun Run, traditionally held in October, NPL and its partners mobilise resources for maternity wings of public hospitals. This year, the initiative will support Nkhata Bay District Hospital and its 22 satellite health facilities.
According to the 2018 Population and Housing Census, Nkhata Bay District has an estimated population of 284 681 and 23 health facilities. The district’s neonatal death rate stands at 21 per one thousand live births and the district plans to reduce this to 13 per 1 000 live births.
Nico Group also comprises NBS Bank plc and Eris Properties, besides Nico Life Insurance Company, Nico General Insurance Company, Nico Asset Managers and Nico Pension.
Apart from supporting the Mother’s Fun Run, Nico Group has this year contributed to Cyclone Freddy relief efforts and provided resources in the fight against the cholera outbreak.
